The Xbox Games Showcase/Starfield Direct was officially a hit – here’s our reactions roundup

The Xbox Games Showcase/Starfield Direct finally livestreamed on Sunday, June 11 after months of anticipation. And it’s safe to say the double feature showcase did not disappoint, with over 25 games featured. Around half of those were from Xbox’ first-party studios—among them titles like Fable, Avowed, Forza Motorsport, Starfield and many more. The lion’s share of the games showcased were day one Xbox Game Pass releases too.

All told, the showcase was exactly what Xbox needed to find its footing again after a shaky few months in April and May. The showcase has been well-received by the gaming public. Read on to see what some are saying about the showcase.

I love seeing game developers reaction to Starfield.

Shows you what Bethesda has managed to achieve ???? pic.twitter.com/jIDksn64fq

— PeterOvo (808) (@PeterOvo5) June 11, 2023

VG237 says “Xbox is back, baby!”

So, quick thoughts on it? Very good. I am very excited to own an Xbox Series X again. I am looking forward to pretty much everything that was shown. Starfield is going to eat away months of my life. This is the point of these showcases; giving us cool things to get excited about and presenting them with confidence and enthusiasm. When showcases are this good, everyone wins. It’s a good time to like video games.—Dom Peppiatt writing for VG247.

Push Square says it was “probably the strongest Xbox Showcase in recent memory”

The curtain has closed on what was, in this author’s partially informed opinion, probably the strongest Xbox Showcase in recent memory. This wasn’t a total knockout on par with some of PlayStation’s best ever E3 presentations – is such a thing even possible now we’ve effectively transitioned from live audiences to trailer montages? – but it was very, very good, filled with an eclectic selection of both first-party and third-party titles, across a spectrum of different genres and themes.

Pure Xbox says “There’s something for everyone at Xbox”

Xbox has to deliver on quality as well as quantity & variety, but we’re set up for an amazing few years on Xbox if the quality comes – and the quality will come from these teams we have no doubt. After a Sony show where fans started to question the company’s direction, Microsoft delivered an all-encompassing showcase that again proved why Xbox is a place for everyone to enjoy games across loads of different genres.

Don’t forget to check out the Xbox Games showcase Extended

That’s right: a follow-up showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13. See here for more info on where to watch. If there are a couple of main takeaways from the Xbox Games Showcase 2023/Starfield Direct, one is that Starfield just might actually live up to the hype judging by what we saw in the deep dive. The second is that Xbox, at least for the time being, is back on track again.